Do you spend most of your time sitting all day? Do you regularly smoke or drink alcohol? Are you wondering if your current lifestyle practices may affect your current health? As part of our "Lose weight the right way: A Step-by-Step Guide" Series, this article focuses on the second important step in your weight loss or healthy living journey - the Self-Assessment Step which is divided into the ABCDE:

● Anthropometric Assessment
● Biochemical Assessment
● Clinical Assessment
● Dietary Assessment
● Ecological Assessment

This article will focus on the Ecological Assessment. This step allows you to reflect on your current lifestyle in terms of your physical activity, sleep hygiene and practices that may negatively impact your health such as stress, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. By having an awareness of these aspects, you will be able to tailor your plan based on your current lifestyle.

Physical Activity. In terms of physical activity, the important principle is being active at most times of the day such as:

● Standing or interrupting prolonged sitting every 30 minutes
● Walking around the house or up and down the stairs
● Doing house chores, cleaning and simply moving around
● Walking to the market or grocery store

If you are able to do these activities, then that is a good start. However, if you want to speed up losing excess fat, you need to have at least 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity exercise each day. You may choose from any of the beginner exercises below:

● Stretching, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong
● Walking, Jogging or Running
● Youtube Video Workouts
● Biking
● Jumping Rope
● Weight Training, Strength Training or Resistance Training at home

Sleep. How many hours of sleep do you usually get in a day? Do you experience problems falling asleep? Sleep can be affected by your daily activities and even by your recent food intake. Here are some tips for better sleep:

● Do not drink caffeine containing beverages 6 - 8 hours before your usual bedtime. For example if you sleep at 10 PM, refrain from drinking tea or coffee beyond 3 PM.
● Eat a lighter dinner so your digestion is complete before going to bed. Otherwise you may feel bloated after you wake up.
● Try drinking chamomile tea or milk before bed to help you relax
● Try taking a cold shower an hour before bed to lower your internal body temperature which is needed for inducing sleep

Having adequate sleep of at least 6-8 hours per day is important especially for those trying to lose weight because our bodies continue to burn calories during sleep. On the other hand, inadequate sleep may trigger the release of cortisol or the stress hormone which makes us crave for more food or sweets during the day - thus making us eat more and gain weight faster. Thus, by having adequate sleep, we can help prevent excessive cravings and overeating during the day.

Stress. Stresses in the form of psychological, emotional or physical stress may activate the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol helps improve burning energy to help you overcome the stressor in the first few weeks thus some individuals may notice some weight loss. However, chronic stress will shift the body in “warrior mode” such that it is more adapted to store more energy in the form of fat and be more resistant to losing weight. Sweet cravings also become more persistent. Thus, if you are trying to lose weight and are susceptible to stress eating, adding stress reducing activities in your plan such as exercise, yoga, meditation or sleep is a good option.

Cigarette Smoking. Cigarette smoking is one of the leading risk factors for developing cancer worldwide. Even though nicotine - a chemical found in cigarettes, can make you temporarily feel better, it has insidious negative side effects inside the body. The toxic chemicals from cigarettes may also deplete our vitamin stores that are needed for tissue repair and maintenance and for a good metabolism. Thus, if you want to switch into a healthier lifestyle, stopping cigarette smoking completely is recommended.

Alcohol Consumption. Alcohol is considered to be the second most carcinogenic substance produced for human consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with overweight or obesity and an increased risk of oral cavity and esophageal cancer especially when combined with tobacco. Alcohol also contains 7 calories per gram - which is higher than our usual carbohydrate and protein food items which only contain 4 calories per gram. Thus, excessive consumption in the long term may contribute to having extra fat around the trunk area and later on obesity. Thus, if you are trying to lose weight, only drink alcohol in moderation.

Now that you have completed the 5 steps of nutritional assessment, you are now ready to compute your specific weight goal which will be discussed in our next article. So stay tuned!

/AET

References:

• Hall, J. E., & Hall, M. E. (2020). Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology e-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
• Jameson, J. L. (2018). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. McGraw-Hill Education,.
• World Health Organization (2020). Cancer Country Profile 2020: Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/cancer/country-profiles/PHL_2020.pdf